Pearl Bailey Cabaret Added To MetroStage's Fall Schedule

Pearl Bailey...By Request

October 16 - November 9, 2008

Born Pearl May Bailey, March 29, 1918, in Newport News, VA, Pearl Bailey was a polished vocalist, actress, and irrepressible show-business personality. She began as a dancer and won an amateur contest in Philadelphia (1933), which led to work in touring shows. In 1938 she won a singing contest at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre and was subsequently featured with big bands led by Noble Sissle, Edgar Hayes, Cab Calloway, and Cootie Williams, with whom she recorded in 1945. She starred in the Broadway musical St Louis Woman (1946), and in 1952 married the drummer-bandleader Louis Bellson, with whom she performed thereafter. She appeared in many films, television, and stage shows, including Carmen Jones (1954) and Hello, Dolly! (1967–69), and she hosted her own television variety show (1970–71). Her autobiography, The Raw Pearl, was published in 1968.

Some of the most productive years for the inimitable Pearl Bailey were those she spent recording for Columbia Records, between 1945 and 1950. Columbia paired the singer with other luminaries of the day, including Frank Sinatra. It was at Columbia Records that Pearl recorded "16 Most Requested Songs." Roz White has chosen 15 of those numbers and built a delightful evening of laughter and great music in her new tribute, Pearl Bailey…By Request. On stage her ample figure, often swathed in fur and sparkling with rhinestones and jewels, was a magnet for audience attention as she tossed off a ballad in throwaway style. In films, she was celebrated chiefly for two roles – Maria in Porgy and Bess and Frankie, a roadhouse girl, in Carmen Jones. But Miss Bailey’s gifts were best savored in the nightclub, where she was able to establish a marked degree of intimacy with her audiences. In Pearl Bailey…By Request, accompanied by a four piece band, Roz becomes Pearl as the audience is transported to a late 1940’s night spot and is set to witness the musical magic Ms. Bailey made her claim to fame!

Performer Roz White is a vocalist and actor with 22 years of professional experience and training. Ms. White is a Washington DC native, who was reared in the district’s wards 7and 8, and educated in DC Public Schools. Born Rosalind T. White, March 29, 1970, Roz graduated from both Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and Howard University (BFA Musical Theatre ’94). Roz has worked as a backing/featured vocalist with many artists and producers, including Yolanda Adams (Oprah Winfrey Show, American Music Awards, The Experience-2001 Elektra Records, etc.), Gerald Levert, Grayson Capps, Rickey Minor, Ed ‘Gusto’ Greene, and Jevetta Steele. Roz spent three years working as a lead vocalist at clubs such as ‘The Famous Door’ on Bourbon Street in New Orleans as well as other venues throughout the Gulf Coast. Roz has two Billboard Magazine acclaimed dance singles to her credit: "Bad For Me" (Bullet Records) and "A Little More Love" (Slip n Slide UK) which have become a part of vintage house mixes both in Europe and the US.

As an actor Roz has made versatility and adaptability her trademark, boasting a resume that includes roles she created, such as Hannah in the hit musical Rejoice by Cheryl West (Jar the Floor), and bringing the story of Alberta Hunter to life in Bricktop, written and directed by Thomas W. Jones II. Roz won a Helen Hayes Award for her portrayal of Rhythm in Mr. Jones’ Bessie’s Blues. Other noted roles include Effie White in Dreamgirls (National Tour), Mahalia Jackson in Mahalia, and "Miss Adelaide" in the classic musical Guys and Dolls. In her new tribute, Pearl Bailey…By Request, Roz merges anecdotes, monologues and “Pearlie Mae’s” infectious, sultry tone with ballads, standards, and swing numbers. The audience can expect to enjoy a fulfilling evening of entertainment, as Roz White captures Pearl Bailey’s legendary ability to create brilliantly candid pictures with a song!